Advice sought on the 1985 Cruise Craft & Tower of Power's broken bits

[malby]

Hi all. Just sorting through some of the broken and old bits on the boat.
1. The alternator or rectifier is gone as the Tacho does not work and there is no charge happening at the battery. How can I test the rectifier? Can someone show me a picture of one fitted to a Merc and also the alternator so I know what I'm testing? I have a voltage metre. If its shot I'll need advice on where to go to get another one.
2. The Bilge pump does not work when I turn it on and by the look of it I need a new one. There are screw holes already in the floor of the boat so should I just pull those out and find a matching BPump or should I go a larger one and if so what size/brand would people recommend?
3. The fuel filter looks like its seen better days. Should I replace it and if so with what, keeping in mind that the fuel is mixed by me at 50:1 before it go's into the cruise tank. If you think I should keep it then how do I go about cleaning it out?
4. I have taken a picture of the underneath of what I think is a row lock. Can anyone confirm that this is what they are and where can I get something to fill the holes as they let water into the hull when the boat sits outside. Same go's for the rod holders..How do people block these off when the boat is sitting at home?
5. There is a couple of pictures of the engine and one shows water coming out of the top of the lower unit. Is this a big problem? It never happened on my last boat/merc blue stripe 1980 model. I also have shown pics of the smoke it's blowing. This could just be the fuel as I have not changed it yet but thought I'd put it out there anyway.
6. The picture of the rear of the boat shows a smallish running light. I was just wondering if this was legal for this boat as its not on the top of the boat. Do I need to have one installed on top of the rocket launchers I plan to have made up?

Thanks in advance for the input.

[BM]

Ditch that filter in favour of a water Sep filter with a spin off element.

Don't worry about the water between the gearcase and the midsection.

If no tacho then rectifier dead. No charging also confirms this. There is only a rectifier on that model. No regulator. Follow the yellow wires from under the flywheel to a small square device with 3 or 4 wires on it.

Genuine rectifier used to be about $120. What I used to do was change the eye terminals to spades and go to Dick Smith and get a 35Amp bridge rectifier for $4.95 and fit that instead. Does the same job.

Cheers

[BM]

The rectifiers are usually killed by somebody hooking up the battery cables backwards. Instantly kills the diodes in the rectifier.

Your all round white light should be at the highest point to be legal. Lots of boats that aren't legal though.

[oldie]

Hi Malby, my 120V4 has water come out of same area at top of gear box unit and this is normal. I'd expect changing the fuel if its old will help with the smoke as fuel must be old and also what type of oil you use with the mix. Just change bilge pump for a new one they start at about 35 bucks use existing holes if possible and re seal holes using sikaflex or similar, things like bilge pumps and fuel filters are wearing parts. Regarding blocking out water maybe go into nearest chandlery and try get some of those plastic caps for rod holders, usually come on the stainless ones. And if you are getting a rocket launcher made i'd re position the anchor/all round white light on top, this way you'll be right. Have you had in the water yet?

[malby]

Thanks again BM. What do you mean by 'turn the eye terminals to spades'? Not quite getting you on that one but sounds like a definite no brainer as I was quoted approx $90 for a genuine and that may well be without GST. Re the water seperating filter with a spin off element do you have any recommendations on brand/size etc. I have a Whitworths and Bias boating mag I am trolling through. Any thoughts on the Bilge pump? Glad to hear that the water leak is no big deal. I have her booked in for a major service in a couple of weeks and I'm sure that will be sorted then.

[oldie]

rule or jonson pump is fine, there are plenty of different filters out there, one with a clear bowl and drain maybe worth the extra $$ that way you can drain any water easily into container.

[BM]

Bilge pumps are bilge pumps so get one that fits the existing base and fits your budget.

The rectifier wires have eye terminals on them and are held down with nuts onto a threaded post. If you use a Dick Smith rectifier they come with spade terminals. So you cut the eye terminals off the wires and crimp or solder some spade terminals on in place.

There's 2 terminals on the reccy for the AC waveform from the stator. 1 terminal for earthing and the other terminal has your battery charge lead connected to it. From memory your tacho feed is connected to that terminal also.

[malby]

Not yet Oldie. Lots of little things I've been checking through and with no working bilge pump and no charging battery I'm gald I held off. The cruise tank was also full of very old fuel and I currently have it in the shed airing/drying out. The CTank also needs a new petrol cap as the old one was rusty inside. Apart from that I also needed to wire up the power winch to my car which I have now done. To be honest I can't wait but don't want to stuff anything up by rushing it so just being patient. My 14 yr old asks nearly every day how the boat is going Dad?? Would you believe that the rod holders were all screwed in bar one?? Going to buy bolts and washers etc for them tomorrow. Oh and the big spot light does not seem to work so another project.

[BM]

Interestingly Dick Smith no longer stock that bridge rectifier and Jaycar who never stocked it, now do.

Jaycar part ZR1324. 400V, 35A reccy. $5.95 now.

[malby]

You're a legend BM! Thanks so much for chasing that one up for me. At that pice I should grab a couple.

[BM]

No probs mate and yes to grabbing a couple. I used to keep about 5 on hand at any one time. Changing for customers was reasonably common.

The output of your stator is pretty low, about 8 Amps if I recall correctly. Not great but enough to top up the battery.

[malby]

Another couple of reasons it has not been out yet is that it needed to get registered in Qld and now is. Wow....what a pain that all was. Between getting the trailer ok'd which ended up costing $44 and waiting in the que and then waiting while they measured the trailer I lost an entire morning. Costs were $173 for the Boat and $192 for the trailer which is worth didly campared to the boat/engine?? Have had the canopy re-stitched and a new lid on top as the old bimini top was pretty wasted.. $450. Yep it all adds up as was said by people on the forum. Still have insurance to sort out and That is a whole other thread as Suncorp for instance won't even tell me what they will insure it for. Just pay your money to us and we'll insure it for Market Value and what that is 'they can't even tell me'! I am currently following through on the Whitworths Club Marine deal with $50 off but I need a qualified mechanic to write up a Condition report and if I want it insuerd for more than I bought it I need a 'valuation' from a Dealer which is more dollars so as you can see plenty to sort through.

[malby]

Correction, just looking through the receipts it was $66 for the trailer roadworthy as I had to pay an extra $20 to have the frame stamped with the chasis number. The Bimini plus stitchup of all of the clears and storm covers was $400 (not $450) with the new Bimini which was not too bad I thought. And then the Auto Elec charged me just $110 to wire up the Power Winch (again a pretty good price after shopping around). All up so far $941 and counting with Motor major service and plenty of parts and bits and peices to come.

[robothefisho]

Im pretty sure any boat with a hull over 20 years old needs a condition/valuation report done before an insurer will even touch it. Be prepared for a valuation to be low.

[cormorant]

Check/ change those fuel lines and support them when you do put a new filter in. Old line s don't like newer ethanol fuels and go soft . Don't use ethanol fuels .

[malby]

Yes I was already thinking of changing the fuel lines as they have certainly seen better days. Re supporting them this is my plan and hopefully I can find a filter that will fit into the old holes even? As for Ethonol I don't even put it in my cars. No way is it oing in the Tower of Power!